“It is all this that makes The Grand Hotel a great one. And more than all this, the fact that it is embedded in the memories of six generations. That it shared the momentous events of modern India. That it bore witness to two world wars; the heyday and passing of an empire; famine, flood, fire and riot; a bloodied Independence and a comparitively bloodless revolution. That it has watched both triumph and disaster and, taking the poet’s advice, treated “these two imposters just the same”. – Bachi J Karkaria, To a Grand Design.

The Oberoi Grand Lobby

Like many refugees who came to Calcutta from Bangladesh in the 1940’s, my paternal grandfather had a tough life. On a very meagre salary as a government official, he had to support a family of more than 20. This included his brothers, sisters, their families, cousins and even friends who crossed the border looking for food and shelter. It was a life far far removed from any luxury hence one day, when my grandfather, courtesy his job stepped into The Grand Hotel, it was nothing short of paradise for him. The white marble, the sparkling crystal chandelier in the lobby, the grand piano, the well-dressed ‘shahebs’ and ‘mem-shahebs’, it was a new world. And I remember how many years later when we were crossing The Oberoi Grand one day, his eyes were gleaming when he recounted that experience to me. The charm of the Grande Dame of Chowringhee has always been magical.

I can’t believe that it has been 15 years already! I remember when the ITC Sonar building was under construction, there was so much curiosity amongst the general public. That time, Kolkata did not have too many luxury hotels so we were all very excited. My first visit to ITC Sonar took place soon after they launched and it was a visit to Peshawri. For the last 15 years, it has been one of my favorite hotels so I felt really special when the management invited me to be part of their Crystal Anniversary celebration. On this special occasion, ITC Sonar has come up with a range of offers for their patrons. One of them is called 15 Hours Nostalgia where you basically spend 15 hours in the hotel experiencing luxury at its best.

When you get an invite from Hyatt Regency, Kolkata to come and taste food from countries like Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam etc, it is hard to resist? And why? Because, No 1, the menu of the Pan-Asian Food Festival at Waterside Cafe is being curated by Chef Bikram Das whose specialty is Pan-Asian cuisine. No 2, you have things like Char Sue Pork, Bun Cha, Pandana Chicken, Hor Mok, Dimsums etc in the menu and No 3, it is at Waterside Cafe, and you know that the food will be great.

Hiya everyone! I had asked on my Facebook page if you would be interested to know about recipes and you guys said yes, so here is the post. These recipes are very interesting because they all have a common ingredient – beer and they are very easy to make! Beer contains barley and hops so it imparts a subtle sweetness that accentuates the flavor of meat, vegetables, fish and even desserts. If you have never used beer in your food before, do experiment and let me know how they turn out 🙂

Thank you Molson Coors Cobra India for sharing the recipes.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Beer Batter for Onion Rings

¼ Cup. flour

¼ Cup. cornstarch

¼ Cup. beer

¼ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. seasoning salt

¼ tsp. paprika

2 egg whites, beaten

Onions, sliced as rings

Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl. Fold in beaten egg whites into batter. Dip onion rings into batter and then deep fry until golden.

Beer Battered Fish

Beer Battered Fish

¾ Cup. beer

2 eggs, separated

¾ Cup. flour

¾ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. garlic powder

Shortening

25 to 30 pan fish

Let beer stand at room temperature until it goes flat (approximately 45 minutes). Beat egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat the beer, flour, salt, oil and egg yolks together until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Dip each fillet in the batter separately and then fry in melted shortening, about 5 to 7 minutes until brown. Turn and brown other side.

Beer Battered Fried Vegetables

Beer Battered Fried Vegetables

2 Cup. all-purpose flour

1 ½ Cup. beer

2 eggs

1 Cup. milk

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Cup. vegetable oil for frying

1 carrot, cut into thick strips

1 onion, sliced into rings

6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed

1 green bell pepper, sliced in rings

In a medium bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour and beer with a wooden spoon; let stand for at least 3 hours at room temperature. Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together ½ cup flour, salt and pepper. Heat oil to 375°. Dip each vegetable in the egg and milk mixture. Next, dip the vegetable into the flour and seasoning mixture; finally dip the vegetable in the beer and flour mixture. Place the vegetables into the oil and fry until golden brown.

Deep Fried Chicken

Deep Fried Beer Chicken

1 ½ Cup. flour

1 T. margarine, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 Cup. flat beer, room temp.

2 lbs. chicken, cut, washed and patted dry

Oil for deep frying

At least 4 hours before cooking (can be done night before), mix flour, margarine, egg and sufficient beer to make a thick paste. Spread over chicken parts; cover and refrigerate. Heat 2” to 3” oil in deep fryer to 365°. Fry chicken pieces, a few at a time, for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to move the pieces around in the oil so they do not stick, but turn them carefully so the coating does not break off. Drain on paper towel before serving.

Meatballs

Easy Beer and Ketchup Meatballs

1-28 oz. bottle ketchup

24 oz. beer

1 ½ lbs. ground beef

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°. Place the beer and ketchup in a slow cooker on high setting and allow to simmer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic powder and onion, mixing well. Form mixture into meatballs about ¾” in diameter. Place meatballs in a 9 x 13” baking dish. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Transfer meatballs to the slow cooker with the beer and ketchup and simmer for 3 hours; sauce will thicken.

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